2013 NFL Draft: Top 5 Priorities for Seattle Seahawks


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2013 NFL Draft: Five Areas the Seattle Seahawks Must Address

Carroll
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into the 2013 season, the Seattle Seahawks hold the crown as the scariest team in the league. Their roster is stacked with top-tier talent, and almost no position appears to be a glaring weakness. So how can they improve when the 2013 NFL Draft rolls around? Depth, depth and more depth.

With the starting lineup all but in place, the Seahawks are in a position to add a boatload of depth to their roster. What’s even before for head coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider, the shot-callers on draft day, is that they have a whopping 11 picks to work with.

With so many picks available, the Seahawks can afford to splurge here and there. Considering that they don’t have a first-round pick after trading it to the Minnesota Vikings for Percy Harvin, they could look to package some of their other picks in order to move back up. Basically, the draft-day possibilities are endless.

Even if they opt to stay put, the Seahawks should have fun picking up plenty of promising young prospects to fill their depth chart with. Gambles will even be allowed considering their surplus of talent and picks.

When the Seahawks are finally on the clock, Carroll and Co. will be ready to go. They’ve done an outstanding job over the last couple seasons when it comes to making the most of their available draft picks, and shouldn’t have too much trouble keeping that tradition alive in 2013.

Here’s a look at five areas of need that the Seahawks should address when April 25 arrives.

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5. Outside Linebacker

Smith
Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

While there is nothing wrong with Malcolm Smith and K.J. Wright as the starting outside linebackers, the Seahawks’ depth at the position is weak at best. Especially with letting Leroy Hill walk, the Seahawks need to add some young, able bodies to their outside linebacker depth chart. What better way to do that than via the NFL Draft?

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4. Quarterback

Quinn
Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Having Brady Quinn and Josh Portis backing up Russell Wilson can’t be a comforting feeling for the Seahawks. Quinn is a bust looking to extend his NFL career and Portis is as raw as they come. The Seahawks need some more insurance at quarterback considering Wilson’s small frame and willingness to run, and drafting a mid-round passer could provide that.

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3. Guard

Moffitt
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

While getting former first-rounder James Carpenter back from injury should help, he has to stay healthy before he can be a factor. The team also has some promising young guards in J.R. Sweezy and John Moffitt, but isn’t completely sold on either as the long-term solution at right guard. The Seahawks need to add some depth as their offensive line continues to show vast improvement.

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2. Defensive Tackle

Bennett
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Seahawks lost both Alan Branch and Jason Jones to free agency, which left them short in the middle of the defensive line. While they signed Michael Bennett, capable of playing all along the line, and Tony McDaniel this offseason, there’s still some concern about who they’ll play aside Brandon Mebane. Considering that they have so many picks available, the Seahawks shouldn’t have too much trouble snagging a contributor at defensive tackle.

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1. Wide Receiver

Harvin
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Even with the addition of Harvin this offseason, the Seahawks still need a vertical threat to help open up the middle of the defense. Sidney Rice is injury-prone and on the backend of his NFL career, while Golden Tate is better suited for a No. 3 role. Both of the aforementioned are inconsistent, and Seattle needs to surround Wilson with the type of wide receivers that can produce on a week-to-week basis. With so many picks, it shouldn’t be too tall of a task.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a Content Planner/NFL Featured Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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